On September 5, 2006 our beloved Danny Ray went home to be with the Lord; he is finally free of his illness and pain. In our hearts we know he will be watching over us, keeping us in line until we meet again.

Danny was born on November 25, 1958 to Dan and Johanna Davis in Centerville, Iowa. His first seven years of life were spent living with his family in Missouri and Illinois. Danny was a truly sweet little boy, loved by everyone. He loved life even then.

The family moved to Kennewick in 1965, where Danny would go to elementary and middle school. He also attended three years at Kamiakin High School until he decided to finish in Unionville, Missouri. Afterward he came back to Kennewick where he became a truck driver for Hanford. It was a job he truly enjoyed.

At the all-too-young age of 31, Danny received a liver transplant which went well for several years. Danny was the 20th person to receive a liver at the UW hospital, and the first with a portal vein in the Northwest. Other complications set in after that, which is when the real battle began.

Danny was an avid bowler for many years. He also raced quads and had a passion for his Harley that nobody else could quite understand. He rode his Harley through the majority of his illness; you just couldn’t hold him down. He also used to ride his bicycle 30 miles at a time, even after his liver transplant.

Danny was truly a soldier, a man who made even the best doctors second-guess what they had said. A real fighter, he knew that just because his life would be shorter, it didn’t mean he would sit around and wait for the end. It just meant he would have to pack a whole lot of living into such a short time. When we have a bad day we just think of Danny and his incredible strength through his unbearable pain.

On days when he was unable to move around, Danny loved listening to music. He would also call his family and friends and try to convince us that yes, he really was okay to go out. You can’t bind a free spirit like Danny’s. He has inspired us all with his strength and will, and he has left behind him lessons of love, life and courage. He will always be loved and dearly missed.

Danny is survived by his parents, Dan and Johanna Davis, Richland; best friend and brother, Brent Tami Davis, Kennewick; sister, Dana Joe Merwin, Ronan, MT; nieces, Ashley Allen Rolfe, Great Falls, MT, Tawny Reis, Richland, Cierra and MaKenzie Merwin, Ronan, Mt; nephew, Zachary Davis, Kennewick; special aunt and uncle, Carla and Bill Robinson, Pasco; numerous other aunts, uncles, cousins, nieces and nephews.

Many thanks to the many doctors and nurses for their care and compassion for Danny over the last couple of years, to Wendy and Glenn at Cherished Living, and to the Mid-Columbia Kidney Center.

Memorial services will be held at 3:00 PM Sunday, September 1, 2006 at Einan’s Funeral Home, Richland, Washington. Inurnment will follow at Sunset Memorial Gardens, also in Richland.